Those who have always believed the worst about Obama in relation to gun rights were probably not surprised when news came of a proposed ban on .223 M855 “green tip” ammunition. After all, this administration has tried many times to subvert the Second Amendment. Operation Choke Point, the push for legislation after the Sandy Hook shooting, and his nomination of a fiercely anti-gun surgeon general have shown us where he stands. If there is a surprise about this current proposed ban, it is only that it might actually work.

The White House defended the plan this week by claiming it would save the lives of police officers. “We are looking at additional ways to protect our brave men and women in law enforcement, and believe that this process is valuable for that reason alone,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

Of course they’re going this route. If nothing else, this administration knows how to tug at the ol’ heartstrings. They do this with every issue they bring to the table. With Obamacare, they drew out the sick and the uninsured to win hearts and minds. With illegal immigration, they gave us the best and brightest examples of undocumented young men and women. And now, with this ammunition ban, they want us to believe that it’s the only ethical choice. If you oppose them, why, you probably want more cops to die.

In making his case, Earnest said, “This seems to be an area where everyone should agree that if there are armor-piercing bullets available that can fit into easily concealed weapons, that it puts our law enforcement at considerably more risk.”

There is no end to the list of things that put “our law enforcement at considerably more risk.” That doesn’t mean we start banning anything and everything that could kill a police officer wearing a vest. Furthermore, a criminal that has decided it’s okay to murder a cop is not going to be thwarted by legislation banning his ammunition, now is he?

House Republicans are taking a stand against the ban. In a joint statement, House Republicans Kevin McCarthy and Bob Goodlatte said, “The Obama administration sees no bounds in its attempt to push its left-wing agenda through executive fiat. Because the president failed to ban certain firearms in the past, the administration is now twisting current law to go after ammunition. This is unacceptable.”

The ammunition in question is among the most popular sold in the United States. It is the second-most popular form of ammunition for the controversial AR-15 rifle, a gun that has come under intense attack from left-wing gun-control proponents. Not because it is any more dangerous than hundreds of other guns, but because A, it is extraordinarily popular, B, it was used in the Newtown shooting, and C, it looks like a military-style machine gun. After being unsuccessful in their attempts to ban the gun itself, now the White House and the ATF want to go after the ammunition.

Make no mistake about it, this is a test. If they can get away with this, they’ll finally have a way of getting around the Second Amendment and the powerful NRA. Executive action, ladies and gentlemen! Is there anything it can’t do?